


Quantum Travels

by Cyelle



Series: Twisting Reality [4]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Dimension Travel, Female!Uzumaki Naruto, Multi, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:27:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28879467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cyelle/pseuds/Cyelle
Summary: A series of one-shots where Hikari, Shisui and Itachi travel to different dimensions and times in the Naruto universe.The relationship is tagged as Shisui x Hikari x Itachi, but there might not be anything explicit, so feel free to consider it any way you want.The trio's ages:Hikari - 18Itachi - 19Shisui - 22
Relationships: Uchiha Itachi/Uchiha Shisui/Uzumaki Naruto
Series: Twisting Reality [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1921555
Comments: 39
Kudos: 244





	1. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hikari, Shisui and Itachi prepare for their trip through time and dimensions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a prologue~

“Wait, are you sure this isn’t going to blow us up? I seem to recall your proclivity for that, Shisui.”

“Not this time! And those other times were on purpose, so stop bringing it up, Hikari-chan!”

“If one of us loses a limb or two, I reserve the right to say _‘I told you so’_.”

“Oh, come on, Itachi, this is going to be fun!”

“Only you would call taking a trip through time _fun_ ,” Hikari muttered in mild annoyance, nevertheless allowing Shisui to grab her hands and pull her onto the seal he had drawn on the floor. The seal was one completely created by Shisui himself; he had become interested in dimension and time travel after learning about her past.

 _‘Well, I suppose it’s fine? He’s put in tons of contingencies. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. There seems to be zero risks,’_ Hikari thought, studying the seal under her feet. Shisui had not allowed her to look at his research, wanting to do it on his own. So there wasn’t much she could tell from the seal itself, but she trusted the Uchiha’s work.

“Where do you think we’ll end up?” Itachi asked as he stepped up next to Hikari and took her left hand in his right, twining their fingers together. His Sharingan was active, memorizing the seal so that he could reproduce it if necessary. He didn’t doubt that Shisui had it stored in his memory, but there was no harm in having a second person familiar with the seal.

Hikari might be amazing at Fuuinjutsu but she didn’t have the advantage of perfect recall, so she might not be able to immediately memorize a seal so large.

“No idea,” Shisui replied cheerfully. He was currently placing the secondary seal that would erase the dimension travel seal once they left, so that it didn’t fall into the wrong hands. “I’ve placed an anchor that will guide us back to our dimension to the moment we will leave, as well as a link that will bind the three of us together.”

Hikari hummed in appreciation. “You’re learning,” she teased the older Uchiha with a smile. “I believe that the anchor is more like a chain-link?”

“It seems so,” Itachi answered instead, studying a portion of the seal on his left. “That means we can go back to any dimension we visit. Shisui, is this space to add in a component to let us pick when and where to go in a new dimension?”

“Yep! I couldn’t quite figure that out; the anchor was simple but this was like aiming in the dark.”

“If the seal works, I’ll help you with that.”

“Thanks, Hikari-chan! Now, ready to go?”

Shisui grinned, holding out his hands for his partners to take. They had known each other for over a decade and trusted each other more than they trusted themselves. So he knew that Hikari and Itachi trusted his seal work and believed it would work, regardless of what they had said; otherwise, they would have stopped him.

Hikari and Itachi looked at each other then back at Shisui, smiling as they extended their free hands to take hold of Shisui’s.

“Yes!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posted: 21/01/2021


	2. Isn't that...?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hikari, Shisui and Itachi barge in on a Senju VS Uchiha battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this [comment](https://archiveofourown.org/comments/370680429).

Izuna was probably screwed.

Not that he was going to acknowledge it.

He had an inkling the instant that blasted Senju’s eyes narrowed in a calculating manner, as if picking the perfect way to cut him down. Izuna didn’t have the chance to chase that train of thought, throwing his head to the side to avoid the kunai thrown at him, a foreboding sense of doom making a home for itself in the pit of his stomach.

The Senju shouldn’t be able to see through the steam; as long as he could avoid the next attack…!

But to his shock, Tobirama appeared in front of him out of the blue, katana ready to tear him apart.

_‘How did he…!’_

Izuna knew he couldn’t dodge the incoming blade. All he could do was wait for the cold sting of his opponent’s blade as it cut through his flesh, dealing a fatal wound for sure. The sound of blood rushing filled his ears, adrenaline spiking uselessly as fear gripped his heart.

But…

That didn’t happen.

Tobirama’s katana bounced off of the chains that wrapped around Izuna out of nowhere, startling both the Senju and the Uchiha.

“Waah!”

Izuna let out an undignified squawk as he was yanked up into the air forcefully, giving him a perfect view of the gawking spectators on the battlefield. Despite his predicament, he snickered at the slack-jawed expressions on Madara, Hashirama and Tobirama’s faces. Whoever was behind the chains had his thanks, for showing him such a hilarious sight.

Now that Izuna had escaped whatever technique the white-haired Senju had used, he studied the chains around his torso. They were glowing a bright gold, unlike the metal he had expected. The Uchiha’s eyebrows rose in shock; weren’t those the chakra chains exclusive to the Uzumaki clan?

The chains seemed to retract, pulling him back and placing him rather gently on the ground in front of a red-haired girl.

_‘Yep, definitely an Uzumaki.’_

* * *

Tobirama glared at the unknown girl who had appeared on the battlefield, saving Izuna. The girl had long red hair tied into a ponytail at the base of her neck; she was clad in clothes he had never seen a kunoichi wear: a short violet kimono-like dress with long sleeves and black shorts, some kind of black material covering her legs up to the thigh paired with shoes that came up to her calves.

“Have the Uzumaki betrayed the Senju?” Tobirama demanded, stalking up to the girl who seemed to be looking over a dazed Izuna. “How dare you aid an Uchiha?!”

The girl raised her head, blue eyes boring into crimson as she stared at him, expression showing how unimpressed she was. “I’m half-Uzumaki, half-Namikaze,” she stated flatly, hands on her waist. “And I don’t quite belong to the Uzumaki clan that you know.”

“What is that supposed to-”

Tobirama’s question was cut off by twin yelps as his brother and Madara were unceremoniously dropped next to him, the Uchiha immediately scrambling to grab his brother.

“Izuna!” Madara shook the younger Uchiha, almost screaming in his ear. “Are you alright?!”

Izuna blinked, then looked at his brother, dazed expression clearing as he registered what was going on. “I’m fine,” he muttered, smacking Madara’s flailing hands away. “Stop that, Nii-san, my eardrums are going to explode.”

Next to the two Uchiha, Hashirama was fluttering around his own brother, trying to calm him down. “Come on, Tobi! No one’s hurt, so everything’s fine!”

“Not until I get my answers, Anija!”

“When I told you to separate the clan heads, I didn’t mean that you should bring them here,” the unknown girl grumbled, slapping her palm against her forehead. The four men stopped bickering amongst themselves, reminded that there was a stranger on the battlefield. Their jaws dropped when two young men appeared on either side of the girl, their features giving them away as Uchiha. “You two are trolls, Shisui, Itachi, trolls, I tell you. And no one will ever convince me otherwise.”

“But you have to admit, Hikari-chan, it did stop them from fighting.”

“And you’re better at corralling people compared to us.”

“’Corralling’ being a prettier way to say ‘beating them into submission’.”

“Who are you?” Madara butted in, glaring angrily as he pushed a protesting Izuna behind him. “I know all my people and I’ve never seen you two before. And why the hell are you with an Uzumaki?!”

The girl rolled her eyes, waving a dismissive hand at the bristling Uchiha Clan Head. “First of all, I’m only half-Uzumaki from my mother, so I’m technically Namikaze Hikari. And these two are Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi.”

She shifted her gaze to the curious Uchiha peeking over his brother’s shoulder, smiling as she spoke to the long-haired Uchiha on her left, “He looks a lot like Sasuke, doesn’t he, Itachi?”

Itachi nodded, looking intrigued. “The resemblance is rather uncanny.”

“Who’s Sasuke?” Hashirama piped up, expression friendly as he ignored his brother and held out a hand to the girl. She appeared to be the leader of the trio, considering how her companions seemed to defer to her. “By the way, I’m Senju Hashirama!”

“I know, and Sasuke is Itachi’s little brother,” Hikari said, shaking the Mokuton user’s hand before releasing it the next second, thanks to the katana that came down at the spot where her wrist had been. “Haven’t you learnt that it’s rude to interrupt people who are talking, Senju Tobirama?”

“You are an enemy, seeing that you helped Izuna,” Tobirama spat, readying his katana. “Since you have admitted that you are not part of the Uzumaki clan, there is no problem in killing you.”

Black flames sprung up suddenly, separating the Senju-Uchiha group from the trio, preventing them from taking another step.

Madara choked on air, staring at the unknown Uchiha with long hair tied in a low ponytail. Or rather, at his _eyes._ They were the familiar red of the Sharingan, with six spiraling black curves that looked a lot like sharp blades. “The Mangekyou?!”

“The Eternal Mangekyou, to be precise,” the other unknown Uchiha, Shisui, corrected in a cheerful tone, though his expression was glacial. His Sharingan was active too, the three customary tomoe bleeding into a four-point pinwheel embedded in a circle, with four additional tomoe spinning outside the circle. “You _really_ don’t want to cross us.”

Hikari sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. “My dearest boys, please stop picking fights.”

“Hah! Like they can do anything against us!”

By this time, the remaining Senju and Uchiha clansmen had stopped fighting, far too entertained by the show going on in the middle of their battlefield. They watched in amusement as Shisui glared at Madara for his remark and Itachi stared down Tobirama, cold sparks flying between them.

“You know what? Do whatever you like,” Hikari exclaimed, throwing her hands up in defeat. “Just don’t kill anyone.”

“No promises!”

“Seconded.”

With that, Itachi extinguished the black flames of Amaterasu and drew his katana in one smooth movement, swinging the blade at a startled Tobirama who barely managed to deflect it. On the other side, Shisui charged Madara, catching the older Uchiha off-guard with an open-palm strike to the gut.

Hikari plopped down on a boulder behind her, leaning back on her palms as she watched her partners battle Tobirama and Madara. “And I thought I was the impulsive one.”

“Namikaze-san, is it fine to let them fight like that?” Hashirama fluttered nervously next to her, eyes trained on the enraged form of his younger brother. He winced when Itachi landed a kick, throwing the Senju across the field. “Tobirama could hurt your friend.”

“Nah, let them be,” Izuna remarked in a surprisingly mischievous tone, sprawling on the ground near the redhead. She didn’t feel threatening and she did save his life, so he supposed she wasn’t going to attack him. “It’s been a while since I last saw someone give Nii-san a run for his money, apart from the tree-head.”

Snorting, Hikari shook her head. “My boys will be fine,” she said with a confident smile before slanting an inquisitive look at the Uchiha lounging near her feet, surprised at his laid-back attitude. “I thought you hated the Senju, Izuna.”

Izuna shrugged. “I want to beat Tobirama to a pulp but that’s personal. I don’t _hate_ the Senju per se; it’s just all I’ve known.”

“Sticking with what’s familiar, huh? I get that.”

“But we don’t need to fight!” Hashirama exclaimed, hands clasped together in a pleading manner. He stared earnestly at the Uchiha who aimed a disgusted expression at him, saying, “Why can’t we put our hatred behind us? We’re simply fighting each other because our ancestors did so!”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Izuna scoffed, glaring at the Senju Clan Head, who pouted, the childish expression surprisingly not out of place on the adult man. “I’m not Nii-san for you to spout that nonsense!”

“But-”

“Actually, I agree with Izuna,” Hikari interjected mildly, getting a betrayed look from Hashirama. Seriously though, did he really expect her to side with him, after knowing each other for less than ten minutes?

“If you put two predators in an enclosed space, they’ll rip each other apart,” she continued, snickering when Shisui punched Madara hard enough to leave a crater in the ground. It wasn’t that Madara and Tobirama were weak; it was the opposite. But Shisui and Itachi had gone through the training from hell thanks to Hikari and they could hold their own against her Kyuubi-mode for thirty minutes straight.

Compared to that, fighting against the current Madara and Tobirama was like a walk in the park.

“What I’m trying to say is that there’s literally tons of bad blood between the Senju and Uchiha. If you start living together without at least coming to terms with your differences, it’s pretty much a bomb waiting to explode.”

Izuna nodded sagely. “What she said.”

“But, but…”

“Let me rephrase what I just said, Hashirama,” the redhead said, staring at the Senju Clan Head with piercing eyes. She could respect his determination and will, but he was surprisingly naïve in a lot of ways. “Do you really think that the Senju and Uchiha, who have lost many friends and family at each other’s hands, could co-exist peacefully in one village?”

Hashirama startled, thrown off by the sharp tone that accompanied the question. It was certainly something that he had not thought of in depth, now that he was forced to analyze his own words. He knew that Tobirama could never forgive the Uchiha for the deaths of their younger brothers and it was likely the same for everyone else.

Hikari nodded when she saw the dawning realization on the Senju’s face, smiling a little sadly. “Humans are selfish and self-centered by nature. You can’t expect everyone to be as kind as you. If you can’t understand that simple concept, then you’re better off giving up on your dream.”

Izuna, who had been listening to the conversation with one ear, cut off anything Hashirama could have said in response, “The fight’s over.”

True to his words, Shisui and Itachi were hauling a restrained Madara and Tobirama over to the trio, the latter pair having deep scowls on their faces. They certainly didn’t like being thrown around like ragdolls by someone clearly younger than them.

“We’re back, Hikari-chan,” Shisui said cheerfully as he dumped Madara in front of a cackling Izuna.

“Did you have fun?” the girl asked drily, one glowing hand reaching out to heal the Uchiha Clan head. She didn’t bother with Tobirama, since he had Hashirama to do that for him.

“I can see why they are called the strongest shinobi,” Itachi remarked as he took his usual position at Hikari’s left, smiling slightly when the Senju and Uchiha brothers glanced at him for his comment.

“I don’t need your help, you damned woman!” Madara yelled, twisting this way and that to avoid Hikari’s hand. Izuna was of no help, the brat finding amusement in his misfortune, judging by the way he was rolling on the ground, laughing uncontrollably.

Hikari scowled, her last thread of patience snapping. She brought down a fist on the Uchiha’s head, stunning him and everyone else into silence. “Shut up, idiot! Do I look like I want to help you? I’m only healing you since it was Shisui who beat you up!”

Tobirama, who had been shocked at the way the fragile-looking girl cowed the fiery Uchiha Madara into submission, blinked at the weird picture in front of his eyes. “Who are you three?”

“Dimension travelers,” came the unbelievable reply from Shisui, who was now draped over Itachi’s back. “Or time travelers. Take your pick.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Not really? You can do it if you have the proper technique and a literal ton of chakra. We already know of you guys from our world. Although, we don’t really care if you believe us or not.”

Hashirama spoke up then, “But why would you want to travel through dimensions?”

* * *

“Hold that thought,” Hikari interrupted, blue eyes narrowing dangerously as her head snapped sharply to the right. Golden chakra chains erupted from her back, whizzing through the air before plunging into the ground. Debris flew in all directions, the surrounding Senju and Uchiha clansmen yelping and diving for cover as the chakra chains gouged out a large chunk of rock.

A high-pitched shriek echoed, everyone in the vicinity -except Hikari, Shisui and Itachi- cringing at the sound. There was a black, gooey-looking creature stranded on the rock, with blank circles for eyes and spiky teeth. It screamed, “How did you find me?!”

“Your chakra is so disgusting, it makes my skin crawl,” Hikari retorted, hands already flickering through the signs for a jutsu. Since the Chibaku Tensei wasn’t viable, there was the need for a substitute.

“Doton: Ganban Kyuu!”

Huge sections of rock were ripped out of the ground, rising to surround the rock held up by the chakra chains. The black creature tried to get out before the rocks collapsed on it but there was no way Hikari was going to allow that to happen. “Itachi!”

Itachi nodded, Sharingan spinning to reveal his Eternal Mangekyou. “Amaterasu.”

Black flames enveloped the rocks, preventing any form of escape. Shisui darted forward the instant the rock sections collapsed, the emerald form of his Susanoo materializing around him. The skeletal arms grabbed the chunk of rock still burning with Itachi’s Amaterasu and launched it high up, towards an unraveled scroll with a seal Hikari had tossed into the air.

The rock was absorbed into the seal, disappearing almost instantly. Hikari caught the scroll when it dropped back to the ground, smirking victoriously. “And that’s that. Itachi, could you do the honors?”

“Of course.”

When the girl tossed the scroll up lightly, it was engulfed by Amaterasu and instantly burnt. Not even ashes were left, to the trio’s satisfaction.

“Amaterasu is way more useful than my Mangekyou abilities,” Shisui remarked with an exaggerated petulant pout, watching as Hikari checked Itachi’s eyes. While the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan eliminated the disadvantages of a normal Mangekyou, he had used Amaterasu three times already and she wanted to be sure that his eyes were fine.

“That only means I have more reasons to use it,” Itachi shot back. “And I don’t really like to use it that much.”

“True, true.”

“Wait, wait, wait!”

The trio blinked, turning to face a dumbfounded group of Senju and Uchiha. “What the hell was that?!” Izuna yelled, pointing a finger at them. “What did you just do?!”

“Hmm…that black thing is what started the war between Senju and Uchiha,” Hikari replied after a moment of thought. There was no harm in telling them that, even if they didn’t believe her. “It can’t be killed, so we sealed it in a pocket dimension and destroyed its seal. Now it can’t come back to bother anyone again.”

“And you expect us to believe that?!”

“I’d be more surprised if you actually did, Madara-san,” Itachi answered with a nonchalant shrug, polite and well-mannered as usual. “But you really should re-evaluate your decisions to keep fighting pointlessly.”

Hikari snickered at the looks Itachi’s statement earned them. She slipped her arms through her boys’, grinning widely. “Since we’ve accomplished our mission of saving Izuna, shall we go explore this world?”

Shisui and Itachi nodded, fond expressions on their faces as they looked down at the happy girl between them.

“Well then, bye bye, Izuna, Hashirama, Madara, Tobirama! And everyone else too!”

With that, the strange trio disappeared from the battlefield, leaving behind a confused mix of Senju and Uchiha who were scratching their heads and looking at each other uncertainly.

* * *

“Well, I didn’t expect that one little change would affect history so much,” Hikari mused, looking over at what seemed to be the start of a village.

There were multiple tents scattered in a somewhat orderly fashion in an area cleared of trees and she could see people felling trees to gain more space and to use the wood for construction purposes. There were even a few small wood buildings in the center of the camp, which she assumed were made using Mokuton.

“I think it’s because the clans went into discussions on an equal basis,” Itachi theorized, standing behind the crouching girl. “Izuna-san did not die at Tobirama-san’s hands and he wasn’t completely taken over by the Curse of Hatred.”

“Our intervention came just in time, huh,” Shisui noted, leaning against the trunk of the tree whose branch he was perched on. He chuckled when a part of the forest went up in flames, followed by angry and frenzied screaming from the people who had been working there. “Despite his resemblance to Sasuke, Izuna-san is more like our Naruto.”

Hikari laughed and nodded in agreement to that statement. “I’d say Tobirama is like Sasuke. Look, even the way he chases Izuna is like how Sasuke chases Naruto.”

It seemed like the Senju and Uchiha clans had managed to achieve a tentative peace in the few weeks the trio had been touring the world. Though the shinobi and most adults were still wary of each other, the children played freely, running around the camp with no restrictions.

It was peaceful.

“Want to go say hi?”

Tobirama growled as Izuna cackled and darted up a tree to avoid the stream of water the Senju sent at him. The idiotic Uchiha had set the forest ablaze on accident and had run away, instead of having the decency to own up to his mistakes.

Of course, for a Suiton specialist like him, putting out fires was an easy task, but Tobirama did _not_ appreciate being dragged away from his work to babysit one irritating Uchiha.

“Izuna! Get back here!”

“Nuh-uh! Why don’t you come up here and get me?”

“Stop acting like a child!”

There was a short burst of feminine laughter and a voice said, “One childish Uchiha, coming right up.”

Familiar golden chakra chains snaked around Tobirama, disappearing into the foliage. It was followed by the sound of Izuna yelping as he was dragged out, the Uchiha pouting as his fun was spoiled.

“Namikaze,” Tobirama greeted, posture stiff as he turned around to face the girl who had turned his world upside down in a matter of minutes and disappeared. Her two Uchiha were with her and he eyed them suspiciously, eyebrow twitching when the curly-haired one waved at him.

“I see the village is growing,” Hikari said with a smile, setting Izuna on his feet. Immediately, a pale hand lashed out, Tobirama smacking Izuna on the back of his head.

“Ow! What was that for, Tobi?!”

“Don’t call me that,” Tobirama snapped, crossing his arms over his chest, crimson eyes glaring at the indignant Uchiha. “You were the one who set the forest on fire!”

“That was an accident!”

Before the two could start one of their usual quarrels, a new voice joined the conversation. “Tobi! Izuna!” Hashirama waved as he ran towards them, a goofy grin on his face. Madara was stomping along in his wake, face set in a scowl; he was clearly annoyed at the disturbance.

“What are you three doing here?” the Uchiha Clan Head grumbled, glaring at the three visitors. He was highly wary of them; the only things keeping him from attacking them were the facts that they had saved his brother and that they were stronger than him.

“Just paying a visit,” the girl chirped, hands folded behind her back. She was grinning widely, making Madara’s scowl deepen at the sheer amount of cheer she emitted.

“Nice to see you again, Namikaze-san!” Hashirama beamed as he bounced over to the trio, having finished showing his disapproval at seeing Tobirama and Izuna fighting. “And Uchiha-san and Uchiha-san…?”

Shisui snorted while Itachi stifled a chuckle. “Just use our first names; you’ll get confused by all the Uchiha here.”

The Mokuton user beamed, laughing heartily as he gathered the bemused dimension travelers in a bear hug. “Ah, I wanted to thank you guys! If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have found peace! Why don’t you come see the village? It’s still small but one day it’ll be great!”

“I have no doubt about that,” Hikari mumbled as she extricated herself from the hug. “Now, lead the way!”

* * *

After showing them around the village, Tobirama and Izuna splitting up from the group midway, the white-haired Senju still glaring daggers at an amused Shisui and Itachi, Hashirama led their guests to the central building. A regal-looking woman with crimson hair stood at the entrance, obviously waiting for them.

“Uzumaki Mito,” Hikari murmured, wincing when Kurama let out a roar of displeasure in their mindscape. The fox really despised Hashirama, Madara and Mito, making his annoyance known every time they were around. “He really hates you guys.”

“Huh? Who hates us?” Hashirama asked, his face the picture of utter confusion.

“The Kyuubi,” Shisui deadpanned, laughing when the older trio gaped at him.

Hikari chuckled and made a few handsigns; there was a puff of white smoke and an orange fox the size of a tiger appeared. It growled at the startled forms of Hashirama, Madara and Mito, nine tails waving menacingly before darting away.

“Is it alright to let him go like that, Hikari?” Itachi queried, ignoring the stunned adults as he watched Kurama disappear into the distance.

“Better than screaming in my head,” came the dry response.

Mito regained her wits first, expression smoothening into a calm front. She really did have nerves of steel. “Was that really the Kyuubi?”

“He’s the one from my dimension,” Hikari agreed, smirking knowingly when the woman’s eyes widened.

“Ah. Of course.”

“Oi, oi!” Madara flailed, glaring at the woman who only raised an eyebrow. “We just saw the freaking Kyuubi and that’s all you’ve got to say?!”

“Is there more to say? He did not harm any of us and I see no problem in returning the sentiment.”

“Gah! Hashirama! Does your harpy have even an ounce of sense?!”

“Madaraaaa! Don’t insult my wife!”

Hikari huffed in amusement as the two clan heads started brawling right in front of them, Mito elegantly dodging a wayward fist as she smiled slightly in exasperation at the sight of her husband and his best friend fighting like little children.

“Husband, Madara-sama, do recall we have guests,” she said sharply when the men didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.

“Woah, she reminds me of you, Hikari-chan,” Shisui leaned closer to his redhead, whispering into her ear as he watched Mito scold Hashirama and Madara, the men quailing under her stern gaze.

Itachi agreed, “The only difference is that Hikari has a bubbly personality instead of Mito-san’s calm one.”

Hikari rolled her eyes, punching the boys half-heartedly. “Seriously…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if anyone is OOC....
> 
> Posted: 21/01/2021


	3. A different path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Messing with the Sandaime is always fun!  
> Add in our favorite trio and it's chaos galore!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For [Dendule95](https://archiveofourown.org/comments/385634349).

In the middle of a dark forest, barely illuminated by the full moon, three figures appeared out of nowhere, in a powerful flare of chakra that was only muted by the seals on them.

“Anyone recognize this place?”

“Apart from the fact that it’s a forest in Hi no Kuni? Nope.”

“I feel the same.”

Hikari, Shisui and Itachi took a careful look around, noting that there were no human presences as far as the eye could see. The only lifeforms were the few birds and animals awake at that time of the night.

Tuning into her senses, the girl hummed in thought. “I can sense a large number of powerful chakra signatures in that direction,” she told the two Uchiha, pointing towards the east. “Since we’re in Hi no Kuni, it’s likely that we’re near Konoha. And…yeah, it’s Konoha alright; I can sense the Sandaime.”

Itachi considered that for a moment and then nodded. “I believe we’re in the forest behind the Hokage Mountain. Do you have any idea about what time period we could be in?”

The redhead shrugged. “No clue. Maybe the Second War?”

“Won’t looking at the Hokage Mountain tell us that?” Shisui piped in, amused by the owlish looks the suggestion earned him. “Even if we won’t know the exact year, it’s a start.”

“Good idea. Let’s go.”

They soundlessly leapt from branch to branch, making their way towards the cluster of chakra signatures that was Konoha. Thanks to their speed, they made it to their destination in less than two minutes.

“Well, that answers that,” Shisui stated in a deadpan, staring down at the three heads carved into the side of the mountain. Since Sarutobi Hiruzen was already Hokage, it was likely that had arrived somewhere around the Second Shinobi War. “What now?”

“Maybe take a look around? We need information-”

Hikari cut herself off, mouth snapping shut as she turned sharply to her right. Brow furrowing as she strained her senses, her eyes widened when she realized what she had just felt.

“Mom!”

Hand shooting out to grab the girl before she could vanish, Itachi snapped, “Hikari, calm down!”

“You don’t understand! Mom is-!”

“Yes, but you’re not going to be of use if you just run off like that. Stop and _think_ for a moment.”

That got the redhead to freeze and she nodded, taking in a deep breath. Hikari closed her eyes, focusing on the familiar chakra signature. It felt younger than she remembered, surrounded by hostile signatures that had the sharpness of lightning. _‘Kumo,’_ she thought, bells ringing in the back of her head. _‘So it’s that.’_

“Got anything, Hikari-chan?”

Shisui’s question pulled the redhead back to reality, the undertone of concern in his voice making her smile. “Yeah. One of Kumo’s usual tactics; they’re trying to kidnap Mom…wait, she’s younger than me and she isn’t _my_ mom, so I guess I’ll call her Kushina.”

Seeing that she was able to joke, Shisui and Itachi relaxed. They weren’t sure if it really wasn’t a serious situation but considering that Hikari was calm, they decided to follow her lead.

“Should we go after them?”

“Why not? I know how this is going to turn out, but it won’t hurt to keep an eye on the situation.”

The three donned their cloaks and sprinted off, led by Hikari. They made sure to keep to the tree line in order to to avoid being noticed. In less than a minute, they happened upon a strange scene.

Shisui whistled softly as he saw a young redheaded girl viciously rip into a Kumo Jounin, despite her flagging chakra and the exhaustion weighing down her limbs. “Wow, your mom -I mean, Kushina-chan?- is pretty scary, Hikari-chan.”

“But she won’t be able to defeat them all,” Itachi observed, dark eyes flickering from Kushina to the remaining Jounin. “Should we interfere?”

Hikari shook her head, well aware of how the situation was going to end. There were a lot of things she wanted to change, but this was not one of them. Unless things went down the wrong path, of course. “Let’s watch for a while. She’s going to be fine.”

The trio watched as the surviving Kumo nin subdued Kushina, tying her hands behind her back and dragging her off into the forest. The harsh way she was being treated made Hikari grit her teeth but she held back, telling herself to wait just a little longer.

“Come on, let’s follow them from a distance.”

After a while of simply tailing the group, Shisui asked, “Uh, Hikari-chan? What are we waiting for?”

“You’ll see,” the eighteen-year-old only grinned, having sensed yet another familiar chakra signature. The show was going to start soon.

Itachi spoke up after another stretch of silence, eyes focused on something on the forest floor. “Kushina-san is leaving a trail.”

“Her hair, right?”

The older Uchiha looked at the long red strands dropped at intervals on the ground, then at the captured girl just as she pulled more strands loose. She was doing it so subtly that the Kumo nin didn’t even notice, simply continuing on their path. It was amazing how Kushina was able to think of such a method when she looked so exhausted and hopeless.

After all, there was no one else in Konoha with red hair and the trail would immediately point to Uzumaki Kushina.

If Shisui had been any less experienced, he would have missed what happened next.

A blur came out of nowhere, taking down one of the Kumo nin before darting into the trees. The Uchiha squinted, “Is that…?”

“Yep,” Hikari chirped gleefully, almost clapping her hands in delight as she watched a young Namikaze Minato methodically defeat the Kumo nin, the adults dropping like flies despite the attacker being a kid. “My Dad -I mean, Minato- is freaking awesome!”

“Your parents are rather scary people, Hikari,” Itachi commented drily as he shot a deadpan stare at their redhead, while Minato picked up a dazed Kushina in the background and leapt away in the direction of Konoha. “I see where you and Naruto-kun got it from.”

Hikari snickered, waving her hand at the two unimpressed Uchiha. “I was horrible as a kid the first time around. Put me in a situation like that and I’d probably be yelling curses and insults rather than looking for a solution.”

“That doesn’t count, not after what we know of your first childhood,” Shisui retorted, grabbing the girl’s hands and swinging her around in circles. “Didn’t you do something similar to what both Kushina-chan and Minato-kun just did when you were seven? It was Kumo that time too.”

“Technically, I was nineteen,” she pointed out with a roll of her eyes.

“Semantics. You looked seven, so you were seven.”

“Well, my main goal was to save Hinata without casualties, so I didn’t really care about anything else.”

Itachi interrupted with an amused smile before his partners could start one of their usual bickering sessions, “Minato-kun and Kushina-san have reached Konoha. We should leave before shinobi are sent this way.”

The redhead blinked and nodded hesitantly. “Could you give me a minute?”

Shisui and Itachi shot her knowing looks and agreed, vanishing the next second. Hikari knew that they were somewhere in the forest and she could meet up with them later. For now, there was something she needed.

Masking her presence completely, she darted past the Konoha team heading out into the forest and into the village, making a beeline towards where the younger versions of her parents were being tended to by a medic.

Minato didn’t have any injuries, so he was let go immediately. But he didn’t leave, sticking close to the Uzumaki who was sneaking glances at him while the medic tended to her. It was a cute sight, Hikari almost cooing at how adorable her future parents were.

_‘Ah, I wish I could just glomp them! So cute!’_

Shooting the pair one last fond look, Hikari disappeared.

* * *

Hiruzen rubbed his temples with a sigh, his pounding headache making him lose his concentration. In front of him was a report that sent fear and trepidation down his spine. He scanned the words again in hopes that he had just misread them, but the contents did not change.

According to the report, all contact with Uzushio had been cut off for a week and no vessels had been seen going back and forth from the village. Closer observation had revealed that there were ships surrounding Uzushio, the markings on them revealing that they were from Kiri and Iwa.

It seemed that the two villages had teamed up to destroy Uzushio.

And considering how long it had been since communications had been cut off, it was likely that they had succeeded.

A commotion outside his office gained Hiruzen’s attention and the door slammed open a moment later, a young redhead standing in the doorway.

“Kushina-chan,” the Sandaime greeted wearily, the tear tracks on the girl’s cheeks telling him that she had already heard the news.

“Hokage-sama! Please tell me that it’s not true! Uzushio can’t have fallen!”

The Sarutobi sighed, spotting a blond boy hovering over the Uzumaki’s shoulder, his face showing his worry and concern for the girl. He waved them both in, knowing that neither would leave his office without answers. Kushina deserved to know what could have happened to her home village and considering the Namikaze’s presence, she didn’t mind him knowing.

“I don’t have good news for you, Kushina-chan,” Hiruzen said honestly, placing a hand over the reports so that the girl didn’t snatch them. She was still a Genin and didn’t have clearance to know the details. “According to the latest reports, if Uzushio hasn’t fallen yet, then they’re at least under siege. We don’t know how long they will last.”

Kushina crumpled to the floor with a heartbreaking sob, burying her face in her hands. Minato followed her down, hands resting on her shoulders in a gesture of comfort. Sharp blue eyes assessed the Sandaime, taking in his expression and the glint in his eyes. “Are you heading out to Uzushio, Hokage-sama?”

 _‘As expected of a genius,’_ Hiruzen thought with muted pride even as he nodded. “I will be leaving in an hour. Time is of the essence.”

“I-In that case,” Kushina hiccupped, raising swollen and red eyes to meet the Hokage’s, “Take me along, Hokage-sama! I must…no, I need to go!”

Hiruzen was shaking his head even before she could finish, “It will be dangerous, Kushina-chan. And after the recent incident, you must understand that I’m wary about letting you out just yet.”

“I don’t care! If you don’t take me, I’ll just find a way myself!”

Sighing in resignation, the man pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn’t doubt that the girl would follow through on her threat. “And I assume Minato-kun wants to come as well?”

The blonde nodded, expression determined. “If Kushina allows me. She’s my friend.”

“Fine. Be at the gates in thirty minutes. The two of you will follow my orders, regardless of your personal feelings. You are to stay with a Jounin at all times and if you are told to retreat, then you must do so.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama!”

* * *

Travelling at their fastest, the battalion from Konoha reached the coastline nearest to Uzushio in two days and immediately boarded the ships waiting for them.

Keeping an eye on the two children who were standing near the bow of the ship, staring into the distance, Hiruzen listened to the reports from the Konoha shinobi who had been monitoring the situation with Uzushio.

“As far as we’ve seen, no ships have left the area, Hokage-sama. Not even the ones from Iwa and Kiri, but our scouts have observed that ten more ships are heading this way from Kiri and five from Iwa. They are estimated to reach Uzushio in half a day.”

“It sounds like they are reinforcements,” the Sandaime mused, staring in the direction of their sister village. By using Suiton and Fuuton jutsu to accelerate their speed, the Konoha battalion would enter the waters surrounding Uzushio in less than ten hours. “That means Uzushio has likely managed to fend off any attacks so far.”

After listening to all the reports, the Sandaime ordered his shinobi, “Everyone will remain on high alert. There is a possibility of running into the reinforcements from Kiri and Iwa, which means we will need to engage them immediately so that they do not reach Uzushio. Understood?!”

“Yes, Hokage-sama!”

The estimated ten hours passed faster than it actually felt and soon the Konoha troops were close enough to get a distant view of Uzushio. But the sight they were met with was a far cry away from what they had expected.

Broken pieces of wood were drifting on the ocean, half-sunk ships burning while their occupants tried to get to safety in a panic. Judging by their rage-filled expressions, most of the shinobi from Iwa and Kiri had already been defeated.

In the midst of all the chaos, protected by a deep crimson barrier, Uzushio stood unscathed.

“What’s going on?” Kushina whispered, hands clenched tightly around the wood of the guard rail as she stared at her birthplace with relief and confusion. Uzushio was safe, but that barrier was of a caliber far beyond what her clansmen could maintain for days.

Unfortunately for the bewildered Konoha shinobi, the surviving Kiri nin noticed them and in their fury, used the advantage of the ocean by disrupting the currents, in an attempt to sink them or at least damage their ships.

The people onboard stumbled, channeling chakra to their feet to keep themselves steady. But Minato and Kushina, who were nearest to the edge, slipped due to the water pouring into the ship and as a result lost their balance. When the next harsh wave crashed against their ship, the two were thrown offboard.

Keeping as calm as possible, the two preteens controlled their fall, landing on a broken mast floating in the ocean. Immediately they were set upon by enemy shinobi, weapons out and ready to draw blood.

Minato frowned in concentration, making sure to keep his footing as he dispatched two Kiri nin in one swift swipe of his kunai, kicking them into the water. Behind him, Kushina was using wire to make their enemies stumble, tying them up before throwing a kunai with an explosive tag on it at them.

“Minato! We need to get back to the ship!”

“I know! See if you can find a clear enough path!”

The blond scanned his surroundings, looking for a safe way back to their ship. No help would be coming any time soon, considering that their allies were also engaged in combat.

Build-up of chakra on his right made the Namikaze look in that direction, eyes widening when a Kiri nin was flickering through handsigns, handsigns that he recognized as the requirement for Suiton: Mizurappa. If that hit him and Kushina, they would become easy pickings.

“Kushina, look out!”

The Uzumaki turned around at the call of her name, having dealt with her opponents. She gasped at the stream of water shooting towards her and Minato, scrambling back in an attempt to dodge the attack while also trying to keep her balance.

“Katon: Goenkyu!”

A huge fiery ball came out of nowhere, slamming into the Suiton jutsu and evaporating the water, the resulting steam filling the area and obstructing sight.

“For Sage’s sake, why are you two here?!”

Someone landed in the short space between Minato and Kushina, grabbing the startled pair around their waists and leaping into the air without giving them any time to react.

Kushina looked up when it seemed like they had stopped moving, gaping when she saw that she and Minato were being held by an older girl with long crimson hair, the same shade as hers. “Who are you?!”

The stranger focused startlingly bright blue eyes on her, something akin to amusement dancing in them. “Call me Hikari. You two are Kushina and Minato. So, answer my question now.”

“If we answer you, will you answer a question of our own?” Minato interrupted, surprisingly relaxed in the stranger’s grip. He had recognized her chakra from the Katon that had saved them and there was a sharp protective edge aimed at him and Kushina, so he instinctively classified her as an ally.

And well, she was clearly an Uzumaki.

“Sure, little genius,” Hikari agreed easily, raising an eyebrow at the young Namikaze.

“We came here because of Uzushio. Are you using the wind to fly like this?”

Kushina blinked at the strange question, only then noticing that they were actually _floating in midair._

“No,” the older redhead replied, still sounding amused but this time at Minato’s choice of question. “This is a special ability of mine. But it can be replicated using Fuuton, I think.”

Hikari looked around, seeing that Konoha was still busy fending off the Kiri and Iwa nin. _‘At this rate, they’re not even going to last until the enemy reinforcements arrive. Do we really have to do everything around here?’_

Sighing in exasperation, she considered the preteens. She didn’t want to hand them off to a clone and dumping them back in the middle of the fight wasn’t an option.

“Shisui! Itachi! Which one of you wants babysitting duty?!”

Kushina and Minato startled at the sudden yell, the Uzumaki’s face twisting in a scowl at the thought of needing minders. “We can fight!”

“I know, but I still can’t in good conscience leave you in the middle of the ocean. And Konoha already messed up with you, so you’re not going back there until the battle’s over.”

Before a retort could be given for that, there was a puff of white smoke and a calico cat dropped onto Hikari’s head. “Hey, Miki. Itachi sent you?”

“Yes,” Miki answered with a sniff, nose twisting in distaste at the sharp tang of salt water. “Itachi-sama says that he will watch over the children.”

“Thanks, Miki! I’ll get you some salmon later.”

“Do try to get it as fresh as possible.”

Hikari chuckled as the cat disappeared, presumably to return to the summon dimension. Tightening her grip on the two kids, she locked onto her Hiraishin marker that Itachi had and vanished, appearing at the Uchiha’s side in less than a fraction of a second.

“Hikari,” Itachi greeted calmly, unfazed by her sudden appearance. He had taken up position on the water five miles from shores of Uzushio, taking care of any enemies approaching from the north and east, while Shisui was handling the south and west.

“Hey, Itachi,” Hikari returned, releasing her cargo and letting them balance on the water. “Minato, Kushina, meet Itachi. There’s another one of us around; his name is Shisui and you’ll probably see him soon.”

“You’re an Uchiha,” Minato stated, eyes narrowed as he studied the dark-haired teen. “I thought no one from Konoha had been sent out earlier.”

“That’s because they didn’t send us. We’re here on our own volition.”

“Does that mean you’re not affiliated with Konoha?”

“In a way, yes.”

Hikari interrupted them, rolling her eyes in exasperation. “We _might_ explain ourselves later, but can we please focus on the enemy?”

* * *

Hiruzen almost had a heart attack when Minato and Kushina disappeared from his sight, after being caught in between a Katon and a Suiton. He swung his bo staff around in a vicious circle, clearing the deck of the Iwa nin who had gotten onboard.

“Hokage-sama! I’ve found Uzumaki and Namikaze! They seem to be accompanied by an unknown Uchiha!”

“Where?” the Sarutobi demanded, rushing to the sensor who had called out and looked in the direction the man pointed, channeling chakra to his eyes.

Sure enough, the missing children were standing behind a young man with long dark hair in a ponytail, dispatching any enemy that came close to them. Minato and Kushina appeared unharmed, the unknown Uchiha -identified as such thanks to his active Sharingan- seemingly protecting them.

“Seriously, if you bring kids to a battlefield, you should take better care of them.”

The Konoha nin startled at the sudden voice and spun around, spotting yet another stranger crouching on the railing. Three tomoe swirling in deep red marked him as an Uchiha, curly hair messy thanks to the wind.

“And you are?” Hiruzen demanded, pointing his staff at the stranger.

“Uchiha Shisui,” he replied cheerfully, straightening and casually kicking a Kiri nin who tried to sneak up behind him. “The other Uchiha is Itachi and if you see a pretty redhead, that’s Hikari-chan.”

“What are your objectives?”

“To protect Uzushio? I mean, that’s what we’ve been doing for almost two weeks,” Shisui answered in an almost confused tone, if it wasn’t for the mirth in his eyes and expression. “Hikari-chan’s a half-Uzumaki, so it’s only natural that we’ll help.”

The Uchiha looked up, past the Konoha nin and into the distance. “You guys might want to get to Uzushio in twenty minutes,” he said absently, drawing his tanto in a smooth motion. “The reinforcements from Kiri will be here soon and considering the state of most of your troops, you’ll be better off providing assistance to the injured on Uzushio.”

Hiruzen stared at the Uchiha warily; there was no mockery in Shisui’s words and he appeared to be genuinely concerned for them. Temporarily classifying him as an ally, the Sarutobi ventured cautiously, “You mentioned injured. What is the situation in Uzushio?”

“Hmm? No casualties, if that’s what you’re asking. Honestly speaking, the three of us could have handled Kiri and Iwa, but Uzushio insisted that they fight since it’s their village under attack. We’ve been taking turns fighting, so they’re currently behind Hikari-chan’s barrier.”

“You must be joking. It’s impossible for one person to maintain such a powerful barrier.”

Shisui smirked. “Not if you’re Hikari-chan.”

With that, he vanished, leaving behind the bewildered Konoha troops.

The Uzukage, Uzumaki Daisuke, was waiting for them at the port, looking every bit as bewildered and confused as the Konoha nin. “Hokage-dono,” he greeted, holding out a hand. “Thank you for coming to our aid.”

“There is no need for gratitude, Uzukage-dono. You would do the same for us,” Hiruzen replied in kind, clasping the other man’s hand briefly. The rest of the Konoha nin scattered, the fresher ones taking up defensive positions alongside the Uzu nin and the others heading deeper inside to provide medical assistance and other aid.

“But what is going on? Who are those three?”

Daisuke sighed, losing some of the formal air. “We have no idea,” he admitted, scratching his head. “We were prepared for a losing battle the moment we spotted Kiri and Iwa, since the earliest we had expected Konoha to arrive was three days later.”

He paused and looked towards the ocean, wincing when lightning sparked over the water, followed by pained screams. “One moment we were bracing ourselves and the next there was the barrier coming up, stopping all attacks from damaging the village.”

“Are you saying that the barrier has been up since the start of the fight?!”

“Hard to believe, right? It would take a team of four Uzumaki to keep a barrier of this scale powered for twenty-four hours but that girl’s been handling it for ten days, not to mention the fighting she does when she’s not healing my shinobi.”

Hiruzen gaped, unable to calculate what kind of person had such monstrous chakra reserves. “And the other two?”

“The long-haired one, Itachi, has also been playing medic while not on the frontlines. Shisui has been scouting and placing ambushes. That trio is a god-send. Without them, Uzushio would have been done for.”

“Nothing would remain of Kiri and Iwa if that had happened,” a new voice joined the conversation, the two Kage turning around to face the newcomer. Itachi approached them, head dipping in a nod. “Hokage-sama, Uzukage-sama.”

Turning to the Sarutobi, Itachi added, “I’ve delivered Minato-kun and Kushina-san to the Medic Corps. They are unharmed.”

“I thank you for that, Uchiha-kun. But I do not believe I’ve seen you before in Konoha.”

“You wouldn’t have,” Itachi agreed, smiling faintly before blinking once. “Ah, one moment please.”

He held his arms out, confusing the two men in front of him. Their unspoken questions were answered a moment later when a girl literally fell from the sky, landing right in the Uchiha’s arms.

“Itachi!” Hikari laughed happily, wrapping her arms around the young man’s neck and kissing his cheek. “Thanks for babysitting Minato and Kushina!”

“Of course. But perhaps you should present a more dignified persona in front of two Kage?”

“I could care less about that!”

Nevertheless, Hikari let go of the Uchiha and stood on her own feet, turning to face the two opposite her. “Hokage-sama,” she said shortly before looking at the Uzukage, “This is the last wave; Kiri and Iwa can’t afford to send any more troops. As it is, they’ve already lost about sixty percent of their entire force.”

Daisuke nodded in understanding, having given up on questioning the strange trio who had appeared out of literally nowhere and saved his village.

However, Hiruzen was still suspicious. “I do wish to ask what benefit you obtain from aiding Uzushio. Do you want reimbursement? Fame?”

“What would I do with that?” Hikari asked, blinking in confusion. “I just didn’t want Uzushio to be destroyed. It’s my homeland, in a way.”

“Your words imply that you are not from Uzushio,” the Sarutobi shot back, eyes narrowed as he tensed in expectation of a confrontation.

But Hikari only nodded. “Well, yeah. Itachi, Shisui and I don’t even belong to this dimension.”

What?

“There is no point in misleading tales. Tell us the truth!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. That song and dance isn’t new,” the girl said dismissively, much to Itachi’s amusement and the Kages’ consternation. “Believe us or don’t, we don’t particularly care.” She turned to the Uchiha, “How many times have we repeated that already?”

“I never kept count. It seemed like a pointless endeavor.”

“If we were to believe that,” Daisuke started hesitantly, eyeing the duo with some curiosity, “what happened to Uzushio in your dimension?”

“Complete annihilation. Just like here, Konoha received information on the attack far too late to provide aid.”

The Uzukage let out a shaky exhale at Itachi’s words, nodding once in acknowledgement. “Then you have my gratitude.”

“You’re welcome,” Hikari replied with a smile. “You should really work on new seals. Imagine it: a transportation seal that could send people anywhere in less than a second. That would be awesome!”

“More like impossible?!” Daisuke almost shrieked, gawking at the redhead. What she was suggesting went straight past the realm of difficult and into impossibility.

The last member of the strange trio took that very moment to Shunshin in, injecting himself into their conversation with a wide grin. “If I can make a seal that allows us to travel across dimensions, you can make a mass transportation seal.”

Shisui wrapped his arms around Hikari and Itachi, tugging them close and making the two Kage wonder what exactly their relationship dynamics were. An odd thing to be thinking about in the middle of a dangerous situation, but it sounded somewhat saner compared to the other outlandish things they had witnessed that day.

“Let’s not fry their poor brains anymore,” Hikari suggested with a mischievous smile, leaning against the older Uchiha. While it was fun freaking them out like that, they needed to be mentally functional enough to perform their duties. “Shisui, status report?”

“All ships that have arrived so far have been taken care of and the reinforcements will cross the perimeter we’ve set up in five minutes.”

“No hidden surprises?”

“Not unless you count enraged people as surprises,” Shisui remarked drily. He should probably be more concerned about the amount of Kiri and Iwa nin he had killed, but they had brought it upon themselves when they started an unprovoked attack upon Uzushio.

Besides, all three of them could be ruthless when the situation called for it.

Hikari nodded thoughtfully, peering around Shisui to look at Itachi who quirked a small smile at her inquisitive gaze. “How are your chakra reserves?”

“Around fifty percent,” Shisui said, looking at the younger Uchiha who nodded in agreement. “We’ll be fine for another day of continuous fighting before we start to feel the strain.”

“Then let’s end it today. Shisui, Itachi, take the five ships from Iwa. I’ll handle Kiri.”

“Got it!”

“Understood.”

Hiruzen and Daisuke could only stand there with their jaws gaping wide open, staring in shock as three people who couldn’t be over twenty-five years of age casually talk about taking down multiple ships carrying strong shinobi.

* * *

Kushina stared into the distance, watching the explosions that occurred, powerful enough to disturb the ocean currents and send strong waves crashing onto the shore.

She had talked to the other Uzumaki, checking upon her family and friends to assure herself of their safety. All of them had spoken about the powerful trio that had swooped down on the enemy fleets like avenging angels, protecting Uzushio without asking for anything in return.

“Those three are really strong,” Minato commented, coming to stand next to her. As a budding sensor, he could feel the intense chakra emanating from Hikari, Shisui and Itachi; he knew that they were at Kage-class, the redhead perhaps even farther than that.

“I want to be like that someday,” Kushina declared, fists clenched as her determination showed on her face. “I will become strong enough that no one will dare hurt my family!”

“Me too.”

“A good goal. I’m sure you’ll reach it.”

The two whirled around on their heels, finding Hikari standing there and watching them with a smile.

Kushina stammered, wide purple eyes staring at the older girl before making a vague gesture towards the ocean. “B-But, you’re supposed to be over there!”

“I swapped places with a Kage Bunshin for a bit.”

“Kage Bunshin?”

“A solid clone. Very useful for a lot of things. It needs a lot of chakra but the two of you should be able to learn it.”

“Can you teach us?!” Kushina practically yelled, eyes sparkling at the thought of learning a new jutsu. Beside her, Minato looked just as eager, but a little more restrained.

Hikari laughed and shook her head. “Sorry, kids, but we don’t have time for that.”

“Why not?!”

“Because my boys and I won’t be staying here for long. I just came to talk to you two.”

“Why us?” Minato asked quietly, speaking for the first time since the older girl had arrived.

“How to answer that…”

The eighteen-year-old crouched to be level with the preteens, smiling at them fondly but a touch melancholic. “It’s because you are very precious to me.”

“But we don’t even know you,” the blond stated, sounding a little frustrated as he pursed his lips in displeasure and confusion.

“I know you though, and that’s enough. Kushina,” Hikari directed to the younger redhead, making the girl startle. “I know of the burden you carry,” she said, watching as Kushina’s eyes widened in shock and panic, “and I’m very amazed by your courage and strength. I just want to tell you to look from a different perspective.”

Kushina’s voice was a mere whisper, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“He’s very angry, right? Always screaming at you and yelling curses.” When Kushina nodded, Hikari continued, “But wouldn’t you also be angry if you were locked up for something you were forced to do?”

Seeing that her words had gotten through to the Jinchuuriki, considering her thoughtful gaze, Hikari turned to the Namikaze. “Minato, I don’t think you want to be appreciated for being a genius or a prodigy,” she said in an exaggerated deadpan, making the boy grin. “No, behind that genius is a boy who works very hard for his dreams. I know you’ll make it. Just remember that extreme solutions aren’t always the answer.”

“…thank you.”

Hikari straightened, clapping her hands to get rid of the serious atmosphere. She didn’t know what had possessed her to say such things, but it was done. “Now, a present! I heard from a little birdie that you two love Fuuinjutsu, so here’s copies of everything I’ve compiled so far. Have a blast with it!”

Tossing the kids a scroll each, she watched as they stared at it as if it was some priceless treasure before pocketing it carefully. Hikari couldn’t resist anymore and pulled Kushina and Minato into a tight tug, surprised when they hesitantly returned it.

“I’m very, very glad to have met you two. Really.”

After a few moments, they parted and Hikari stepped towards the ocean, intent on returning to Shisui and Itachi, when Kushina called out.

“Will we ever see you again?!”

Hikari paused and smiled to herself, but there was only one answer she could give.

“Of course!”

* * *

Years later, in a certain ramen stall in a certain village.

“Kushina, does that boy look familiar to you?”

“Huh? Who…wait. He looks like a mini version of that guy from years ago.”

“His name is Shisui and he’s an Uchiha.”

“…”

“Kushina?”

“Did you know that Mikoto gave birth to her son last week?”

“I did. Fugaku was very proud about that. What was the baby’s name again…?”

“…Itachi. Uchiha Itachi.”

“…oh.”

“Yeah.”

“…”

“Minato.”

“Yes?”

“I want a baby.”

“H-Huh?!”

“I want a daughter with red hair like mine and blue eyes like yours.”

“Kushina?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Imagine what would happen if there was an abundance of Uzumaki in the Naruto universe...  
> Everyone should pray for their sanity.
> 
> I didn't check the anime or the manga or the data books regarding Kushina's kidnapping and the fall of Uzushio, so there might be some things off. (If there is, chalk it down to dimensional differences.)
> 
> Posted: 09/02/2021


End file.
